Combined reactor for cyclic char burning engines

Abstract

A modified primary reactor for cyclic char burning engines is described wherein the reaction chamber cross sectional area increases in the direction of char fuel motion. Additionally air inlet ports are distributed along the length of the chamber in the direction of char fuel motion in order to supply oxygen to the char fuel reaction throughout the reaction chamber. Porous ceramic chips are mixed with the char fuel and function as air storage reservoirs during compression, and as air supply sources during expansion.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. In a cyclic char burning engine comprising: at least one combined means for compressing and expanding gases, each said combined means comprising; an internal combustion engine mechanism comprising a variable volume chamber for compressing and expanding gases, and drive means for driving said internal combustion engine mechanism and for varying the volume of said chamber through repeated cycles, each cycle comprising a compression time interval followed by an expansion time interval, each said combined means for compressing and expanding further comprising, intake means for admitting reactant gases into said variable volume chamber prior to each said compression time interval, exhaust means for removing reacted gases from said variable volume chamber after each said expansion time interval; each said combined means for compressing and expanding having at least two separate gas flow connections to a separate primary reaction chamber within enclosing walls and a pressure vessel container; said char burning engine further comprising a source of supply of reactant gas containing appreciable oxygen gas to each said intake means for admitting reactant gases into said variable volume chamber; said char burning engine further comprising means of cranking said internal combustion engine mechanism when said char burning engine is being started; each said separate primary reaction chamber comprising; a refuel end with a refuel mechanism means for inserting fresh char fuel particles into said refuel end, an ash removal end, a char fuel direction of motion from said refuel end toward said ash removal end, each said primary reaction chamber further comprising, a char fuel preheat zone positioned toward said refuel end of said primary reaction chamber, an ash collection zone positioned toward said ash removal end of said primary reaction chamber, and rapid reaction zones positioned between said char fuel preheat zone and said ash collection zone; each said primary reaction chamber further comprising at least one ash removal means for removing unburned materials from said ash removal end; each said primary reaction chamber further comprising means for preheating the contents within said primary reaction chamber when said char burning engine is being started; an improvement to each said primary reaction chamber, comprising:   a source of char fuel chunks;   a source of porous ceramic chips;   premixing means for premixing said char fuel chunks and said porous ceramic chips together;   wherein said premixing means for premixing said char fuel chunks and said porous ceramic chips together further comprises means for setting the volumetric ratio of porous ceramic chips to char fuel to exceed the ratio of char fuel ash volume content to ceramic chip pore volume content, and to be finite;   wherein said refuel mechanism means for inserting fresh char fuel particles into said refuel end of said primary reaction chamber comprises means for inserting premixed char fuel chunks and porous ceramic chips together from said premixing means into said primary reaction chamber; and said refuel mechanism means for inserting further comprises refuel drive means for driving said means for inserting and comprising apparatus adapted to carry out said insertion over a refuel time interval, and to apply a compression force to the contents of said primary reaction chamber at all times when said char burning engine is running except during said refuel time intervals;   wherein said ash removal means for removing unburned materials from said ash removal end of said primary reaction chamber further comprises means for removing ceramic particles and ashes together from said primary reaction chamber, and comprising ash removal drive means for driving said means for removing and comprising apparatus adapted to carry out said removal over an ash removal time interval;   wherein said primary reaction chamber is tapered in the direction of char fuel motion with reaction chamber cross section area at right angles to the direction of char fuel motion increasing in the direction of char fuel motion;   wherein said primary reaction chamber further comprises several air delivery ports through the enclosing walls of said primary reaction chamber, and these air delivery ports positioned along the length of said primary reaction chamber in the direction of char fuel motion, and also positioned around the periphery of said primary reaction chamber at right angles to the char fuel motion direction, each said air delivery port comprising an outlet end into said primary reaction chamber and an inlet end;   air inlet means for connecting said variable volume chamber to said air delivery port inlets so that said air delivery port inlets are connected to said variable volume chamber only during said compression time intervals;   wherein said primary reaction chamber further comprises at least one hot gas delivery port through the enclosing walls of said primary reaction chamber, and these hot gas delivery ports positioned at the ash removal end of said primary reaction chamber, and these hot gas delivery ports preferably positioned around the periphery of said primary reaction chamber at right angles to the char fuel motion direction, each said hot gas delivery port comprising an inlet end into said primary reaction chamber and an outlet end;   hot gas outlet means for connecting said variable volume chamber to said hot gas delivery port outlets so that said hot gas delivery port outlets are connected to said variable volume chamber only during said expansion time intervals.   
     
     
       2. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising: burnout sensor means for sensing the burnout level in said primary reaction chamber where char fuel is fully burned to ashes;   burnout level control means for controlling said ash removal means for removing unburned materials from said primary reaction chamber, and for controlling said refuel mechanism means for inserting char fuel and ceramic chips into said primary reaction chamber, and responsive to said burnout sensor means for sensing the burnout level in said primary reaction chamber, and operative upon said ash removal drive means for driving said means for removing and also operative upon said refuel drive means for driving said means for inserting, to maintain said burnout level outside said ash removal means for removing and also outside said refuel mechanism means for inserting, and also to maintain said primary reaction chamber filled with ceramic chips and char fuel.   
     
     
       3. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 2: wherein said ash removal means for removing materials from said primary reactor has a fixed ash removal volume and is controlled by said burnout level control means to remove materials periodically at intervals;   wherein said burnout level is controlled by said burnout level control means to remain at least one volume, equal to said ash removal volume, inside said primary reaction chamber in the direction of said refuel end away from said ash removal end;   and further wherein said burnout level is controlled by said burnout level control means to remain at least one volume, equal to said ash removal volume, inside said primary reaction chamber in the direction of said ash removal end away from said refuel end.   
     
     
       4. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising: an engine exhaust gas sensor means for sensing the oxygen content of the engine exhaust gas;   control means for controlling the volumetric ratio of ceramic chips to char fuel being inserted together into said primary reaction chamber, and responsive to said engine exhaust gas sensor means, and operative upon said means for setting the volumetric ratio of ceramic chips to char fuel, to maintain said engine exhaust gas oxygen content below the oxygen limit.   
     
     
       5. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1: wherein said porous ceramic chips in said source of ceramic chips comprise at least two differing kinds of ceramic chips, said ceramic chips differing both in size and in chemical composition;   and further comprising:   size means for separating removed ceramic chips into at least two separated batches differing in size;   means for recirculating at least one of said at least two separated batches of removed ceramic chips, differing in size, back into said source of ceramic chips.   
     
     
       6. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising: density means for separating removed ceramic chips into at least two separated batches differing in density,   means for recirculating at least one of said at least two separated batches of removed ceramic chips, differing in density, back into said source of ceramic chips.   
     
     
       7. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising; a reactant gas storage reservoir for storing reactant gas containing appreciable oxygen gas and comprising a reactant gas inlet and a reactant gas outlet;   said reactant gas inlet and outlet of said reactant gas storage reservoir being connected to said air delivery port inlets.   
     
     
       8. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising: a burned gas storage reservoir for storing burned gases and comprising a burned gas inlet and a burned gas outlet;   said burned gas inlet of said burned gas storage reservoir being connected to said hot gas delivery port outlets;   said burned gas outlet of said burned gas storage reservoir being connected to said hot gas outlet means for connecting said variable volume chamber to said hot gas delivery port outlets.   
     
     
       9. A cyclic char burning engine as described in claim 1 and further comprising: an engine exhaust gas sensor means for sensing the carbon monoxide content of the engine exhaust gas;   control means for controlling the volumetric ratio of ceramic chips to char fuel being inserted together into said primary reaction chamber, and responsive to said engine exhaust gas sensor means, and operative upon said means for setting the volumetric ratio of ceramic chips to char fuel to maintain said engine exhaust gas carbon monoxide content below the carbon monoxide limit.